Spring '11 service cuts

Just thought it would be a good idea to make a topic specifically for discussing the government's transport spending cuts along with its consequences, such as service cuts and other stuff associated with it.

--------------------------------------

Back in particular to RoadRage mentioning Veolia pulling out of even more of their operating areas and/or severe effects on its more rural services in particular... did you hear about this from word of mouth from other drivers or read it online or something?

Derbyshire and North Yorkshire council are cutting back on alot bus services over the next 4 years.

I can see labour winning back derbyshire council in 2013! There is ALOT, im MEAN alot of council elections in may, which means I can expect some area cuts changing soon.

Everywhere is making drastic cuts. Come on, Metro in West Yorks have to cut £10m from the budget over the next 2 years. One thing would stop a lot of the cuts, but sadly Cameron hasn't the balls to do it.

Bristol LH wrote:Everywhere is making drastic cuts. Come on, Metro in West Yorks have to cut £10m from the budget over the next 2 years. One thing would stop a lot of the cuts, but sadly Cameron hasn't the balls to do it.

He not help by cutting the amount bus compaines get from the passes, maybe there need to cut back to local only and add in 10p

Hartlepool has lost nearly all its evening and Sunday services!

peanutbutter wrote:

Bristol LH wrote:Everywhere is making drastic cuts. Come on, Metro in West Yorks have to cut £10m from the budget over the next 2 years. One thing would stop a lot of the cuts, but sadly Cameron hasn't the balls to do it.

He not help by cutting the amount bus compaines get from the passes, maybe there need to cut back to local only and add in 10p

If they are cutting back the amount that bus companies are receiving for carrying free loaders then isn't it about time that bus companies took matters into their own hands? I think they should tell the Government to stick their free travel up where the sun don't shine and start charging free pass holders again regardless. After all bus companies are businesses not charities!

A Local Councillor has written to our local paper saying that the over 60's shouldn't get free travel.

He basically says, to para phrase, that the Free bus pass was introduced as a vote winner by the previous Government and that while in principle it has it's merits, they failed to realise the impact it was having. Bus companies are running round with buses full of pass holders and the paying public are finding it increasingly difficult to get on. He also says that the money given by the Government to the Local Authority goes no where near to covering what the Local Authorities have to pay the Operators.

He goes on to say that what the Local Authorities pay the Operators goes no where near covering the costs incurred by them carrying the pass holders. To be able to meet their obligations, Local Authorities are having to raise Council Tax and cut other front line services to pay for the free travel.

He says that if the Concessionary Pass was just that, a Concession on full fare, say to half fare, that money would go straight to the Operator and the only cost to the council would be the administration costs to issue the passes. The Operators would be pulling some money in, the council would be saving money that it could then spend where it was needed on essential services.

I like this bloke

So do i Blakey,but he speaks the truth

Daisy Dart wrote:

peanutbutter wrote:

Bristol LH wrote:Everywhere is making drastic cuts. Come on, Metro in West Yorks have to cut £10m from the budget over the next 2 years. One thing would stop a lot of the cuts, but sadly Cameron hasn't the balls to do it.

He not help by cutting the amount bus compaines get from the passes, maybe there need to cut back to local only and add in 10p

If they are cutting back the amount that bus companies are receiving for carrying free loaders then isn't it about time that bus companies took matters into their own hands? I think they should tell the Government to stick their free travel up where the sun don't shine and start charging free pass holders again regardless. After all bus companies are businesses not charities!

Thats what i like about the night service they cant use it,they have 2 pay the flat which is £2.65.This is only between the hours of 01.00 - 04.30.Some pay but others aint happy and get off and walk.But will happily spend money on over priced beer . I wish the bus companies had the balls 2 tell them were 2 go also,but the muppets have now got used 2 getting on for nothing,so if they ever did get rid of it,it certainly would make an interesting shift.But sadly goverment have got the balls 2 cut other services but not the balls 2 stop the muppet cards.

I'd so love to spend a day riding around on a bus with the driver on the first day it gets slashed if it ever does, just to see the reactions of them all. Maybe then my route will bring in more than a twenty quid each day...

The other thing is that we don't have any time restrictions in Wales so it's even worse. 24/7 365. Well, not 365, but you get the point

Its the budget this week, so let's just wait & see what happens.

Looks like a certain company won't be going after all... Veolia Transdev. This will be interesting.

Countryfile report about rural cuts

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

14mis in*** and again at 34mins.

It state East Yorkshire and kent are not cutting any services,

Here is Deven cuts; long lists
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

The East Riding of Yorkshire is tiny, and the main operator round there is East Yorkshire, and they are slashing loads of services, so that report is pure bull...

Here is Lincolnshire changes, note there are still in debate about some services:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

There is a high chance stagecoach will keep something operating, especial in the Lincoln town

EDIT From stagecoach own website.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Pukerlicious wrote:Looks like a certain company won't be going after all... Veolia Transdev. This will be interesting.

The merger didn't include Veolia Transport UK which is still a separate business, cuts are being made at every depot to try and improve performance prior to the whole company being broken up and sold. Have heard strong rumours that Veolia Treforest is to reduce to 30 vehicles and return to the former Shamrock yard, presumably the other south wales depots will be sold separately.

Dont bet on the most of the Veolia company even being sold, most of the portfillo is council work which is getting cut left right and centre.

Its no rumours you heard its more fact .....

Senior staff from Veolia Transport Cymru met with most Councils in South Wales in March to discuss the future of the business and are undertaking a review at present. The outcome of this review is at present unknown.

What is known is there have been ongoing problems with the services provided by this company and it recently had a £30,000 fine imposed on it as well as having is disks dramatically reduced. It also had to submit to the traffic commissioners a full list of the buses it would be operating. It has also to submit its bus for independent testing as there have also been major maintenance issues with the companies vehicles.

Add on top of this that the Veolia Cymru operation was not including as part of the deal, in the merger between Veolia and Transdev.

Other deports and york and nottinghamshire I cant see them even being workable soon either.

News from lincolnshire.....

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

So now the only place Veolia Transport technically exists in the UK is South Wales and the England stuff is Veolia Transdev? Typical! There's me thinking things would change.

I also read somewhere they're now talking about selling off all former Veolia operations (but now I assume only the ones that are now Veolia Transdev)

I don't think Veolia Yorks & North East was included either, as both are being run into the ground, and many Veolia South Yorks tendered services are being sub contracted to First!

Well from all the more "trusted sources" I've read, Veolia Transdev was to include all of Transdev's current north of England and London Sovereign operations (minus London United and Yellow Buses which are now of course RATP Dev) plus all of Veolia's.

It was also mentioned that staff were assured there would be no job losses with Veolia.

Veolia South Yorks is on the edge of losing all their work, and N/E is tiny. Neither will survive much longer. I used to work for Veolia, and know what a shambles they are. Couldn't run a bath.

I actually thought the England operations weren't as bad as ours.

You thought quite wrong!
Most of Veolia Nottinghamshire's fleet has been on Ebay recently, including the coaches & all remaining double deckers. Running tendered services dotted about isn't a good business model, and makes everything hard to manage.

When the Veolia depot I worked at passed to Transdev, every vehicle needed several thousand pounds worth of repairs doing., due to the lack of basic repairs or maintainence. A shambles...

Yeah tell me about it.

One of our Centros broke down yesterday, had a P reg Javelin with Berkhof body to cover temporarily. Ended up having to do this hill in 1st gear (6 speed manual) which a Volvo Centro manages in 3rd. They swapped it back over with another one of the Centros we used to have at our depot that they'd temporarily nicked from Crofty, look at the state it's in. And yes, that is bare metal bolted on to cover some damage up you can see.

Went back out today and guess what passed on it... MAN Marcopolo. Still not done, and the borrowed HVH has probably gone back to Crofty now. They're not getting any money in with these coaches either, standard coach specs with no destination equipment or ticket machine and manual gearbox. Plus of course little old dears struggling to get on and off them. Oh, and there's the problem where you end up feeling seasick on the route with a coach because the roads are all over the place and aren't level, you're being tipped back and forth left and right all the time.